Medical and psychology translation
Medical translations are a field in which stakes are as high as they can be. We’re talking human lives and health.
This industry has specific characteristics:
- • Highly specialized terminology
- • Well-defined, clear, formal, and accurate language
- • Highly regulated
But make no mistake—in spite of the scientific terminology and clear language, medical translations also depend to a large extent on culture. So it’s important to understand the appropriate way of communicating with patients and healthcare professionals in the target context.
You also need to know if you’re working with highly specialized medical translation, general medical translation, or other subspecializations in the medical/healthcare world.
There are so many things to know and so many decisions to make. Relying on a medical translator who gets these language subtleties and can help you effectively communicate the information to your target audience is vital.
What you need
- • Compliance with regulatory requisites (general and country-specific).
- • Flexibility in targeting readers, from patient-facing and clinician-facing to regulatory.
- • Accuracy and clear style.
- • Peace of mind about whether the right formal conventions are being followed.
How I deliver
- • Certification of Good Clinical Practices in Colombia, Spain, and the US.
- • Advanced degrees in medical translation and health.
- • First-hand experience in clinical settings as a healthcare professional.
- • Use of translation tools (MemoQ, Trados, XTM, WordBee, etc.) and quality control tools (Xbench).
- • Collaboration (on request) with a second reviewer.
- • Network of trusted colleagues in different languages and cultures.
- • Familiarity with relevant clinical trial regulations (ICH, FDA, EMA, AEMPS, INVIMA).
- • Membership of medical translator associations and divisions, and professional networks.
Karol has translated psychological resources for us for a couple of years now. Her translations are of excellent quality—her domain-specific knowledge really helps us here! She's accurate, quick, and a brilliant communicator. I've got no hesitation in recommending her to anyone who needs translation work completed to an excellent standard.”
Matthew Whalley
Director
Psychology Tools
Karol is one of our top Spanish linguists, her knowledge of the medical field is outstanding and we are very satisfied with her performance.”
Denisse Geler
Project Manager
Green Translations
Clinical research translations
Research and clinical trial translations are more specialized subfields within the broader medical translation specialization.
Familiarization with clinical research practices and workflows is necessary to guarantee the correct adaptation of research documentation (e.g., protocol documentation, investigator brochures, clinician training materials), patient-facing documentation (e.g., informed consent, recruitment materials, instructions), and clinical outcome assessments.
At the same time, you also need to conform to country-specific clinical research legislation and regulations (e.g., from the FDA in the US, the AEMPS in Spain, or INVIMA in Colombia).
To tick all these boxes, work with a translator who has hands-on experience as a clinician and as part of research staff, with knowledge of GCP, medical terminology and concepts, and the linguistic proficiency to be able to adapt your documentation effectively to achieve your objectives.
Psychology and mental health translations
An even more specialized subfield, psychology and mental health topics also require translators with specific training and qualifications.
Psychology translations can encompass:
- • Neuropsychological assessments
- • Clinical psychology assessments
- • Digital therapeutics apps for mental health
- • Informative materials for patients, family, and health professionals
- • Industrial psychology and HR materials and assessment
- • Evidence-based psychology materials
- • And more
What do all these translations have in common?
They will all benefit from a specialized translator with first-hand experience and training as a licensed psychologist. Someone who understands the underlying concepts and official terminology. And someone who gets what’s at stake and treats the project with the seriousness it deserves.
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